Wake Up With BroadwayWorld March 12, 2024

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is March 12, 2024 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours: 

But first...

Exclusive: Get A First Look at Graham Phillips & Talia Suskauer in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE
by Joshua Wright
Get an exclusive first look at The Axelrod Performing Arts Center's bold reimagining of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, Sunday in the Park With George. . (more...) 

Photos: First Look at Cara Delevingne, Luke Treadaway & Michael Ahomka-Lindsay in CABARET
by Chloe Rabinowitz
Cara Delevingne, Luke Treadaway and Michael Ahomka-Lindsay are beginning their first performances in CABARET at the Kit Kat Club tonight – Monday 11 March. Check out photos! . (more...) 

Photo: Laurence Fishburne and Sam Rockwell Visit LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
by Chloe Rabinowitz
An American Buffalo reunion took place at Little Shop of Horrors when Laurence Fishburne and Sam Rockwell came to visit their former co-star Darren Criss! See photos!. (more...)

ArtsDistrict Brooklyn Shutters, Leaving Bills That Vendors Say Went Unpaid
by Cara Joy David
In the summer of 2022, Canadian-based producers David Galpern and Charles Roy launched ArtsDistrict Brooklyn in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. But I’ve spoken to over a dozen people—some only on background because of potential legal implications—who allege they are owed money related to work they performed for the venue.. (more...) 

Broadway Women's Fund Reveals 2024 Women to Watch on Broadway List
by Stephi Wild
To spotlight women in leadership, the Broadway Women’s Fund has announced the fifth annual Women to Watch on Broadway, which highlights women in the industry who excel in their careers in regional theaters, Off-Broadway, as Broadway Associates, and in Broadway offices.. (more...)

Videos: WICKED Movie Stars Hit the Red Carpet at the Oscars
by Stephi Wild
Last night, all eyes were on the Oscars! Among those in attendance were cast members from the upcoming film adaptation of Wicked, including stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh, and more. Check out clips of the Wicked movie stars on the red carpet at the Oscars here!. (more...) 

Liza Minnelli

Liza Minnelli has conquered stage, screen, records, concerts and television. She became a nightclub performer at the age of 16, won her first Tony at 19, released three albums through Capitol Records by 20, and received her first Oscar nomination at 24. Liza became a fashion icon in her teens with her signature pixie cut- the result of having to chop her locks when playing around with some friends ended with a wad of gum in her hair. That, plus her red lips and ensembles, made her a muse to designers like Halston, and a creative muse for such Broadway luminaries as John Kander and Fred Ebb, who Liza famously claimed “created her.” 

Liza left home and moved to New York to become a Broadway performer. When she was 19, Minnelli became the youngest person to win the leading actress in a musical Tony for her turn in the 1965 Kander and Ebb musical Flora the Red Menace. Thus beginning a long standing relationship between the hit making duo and Liza. Her other Broadway credits include Liza, Chicago, The Act, The Rink, Victor/Victoria, Minnelli on Minnelli and Liza's at the Palace.

From Steppin Out to Sex in The City, Tell Me That You Love Me Junie Moon to Arthur, and the role that cemented her into the status of bona fide movie star, Cabaret, Liza Minelli dominated the screen. She received her first Oscar nomination for her riveting performance in the romantic comedy The Sterile Cuckoo. It's been often said that Liza’s infamous telephone scene is one of the greatest performances in film history. She did the scene on her first day on set when production began, in one take with no edits. Liza has said that after doing this scene in one take she knew that she understood the character and that it gave her a lot of confidence as an actress. That confidence was displayed in the role of a lifetime as Sally Bowles in Cabaret. The 1972, Bob Fosse-directed big-screen musical earned eight Oscars, including one for Liza’s work as American expatriate in 1930s Berlin during the rise of Nazism. Her father Vincent Minnelli advised her to not fashion Sally Bowles after Marlene Dietrich, but Louise Brooks instead. The look may have been Brooks, but the performance was pure Liza. 

In 1961 Liza’s mother, Judy Garland, brought her and her siblings onstage at Carnegie Hall- it was apparent to all then that Liza was a live performer. Liza’s high octane live shows are a thing of lore, and to see her in concert is to have seen, what many describe as, a tour de force. Tony Bennett became one of Liza’s early mentors, as was the late French Armenian singer Charles Aznavour, whom Liza has credited with teaching her how to inhabit a song. Liza single handedly created the one-woman television show, at a time when no one had done that.

Through her movies, TV appearances, concerts and recordings, new generations are continuing to be inspired by Liza. She has appeared as herself on TV in Smash, The Voice: UK, So You Think You Can Dance, The Apprentice and more, and she is also known for her portrayal of Lucille Austero in the comedy series Arrested Development. Liza has dedicated much time to amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, which was co-founded by Elizabeth Taylor. Liza has also supported the Great American Songbook Foundation, Broadway Cares, and The Actors Fund.

Other birthdays on this date include:
Edward Albee
Courtney B. Vance
Matthew Murphy 

See you bright and early tomorrow, BroadwayWorld!